Today from 2-5 PM I worked with Don on my first blacksmithing lesson. I had come in with the idea of a folded sheet metal handle, since my expectations had been influenced—perhaps corrupted—by the mass-produced bucklers I had seen online. Don told me that a handle forged out of a solid piece of steel would be sturdier and more authentic, and I thought he had the right idea. Don suggested I take a long tubular piece of mild steel stock and use that. When we agreed half an inch was a good height for the handle to protrude from the buckler, Don introduced me to the one of the larger propane furnaces, “Surprise”, and showed me in steps how to heat and hammer the stock. At first I was nervous about the hazards and my lack of experience, but by the end of the day I was very comfortable with all the steps. The handle, in a rough form, seems a little more than half complete. Meanwhile, Don is forging the piece we will need to finish rolling the edges. One of the regulars at the forge admonished me to be careful about my fuel usage. I told him using Surprise was Don’s idea, and he said that he understood. It would still be better, if I’m the only one working on something, to use the smaller “Nina” in the future. Some people have shown curiosity or interest in my project, which is encouraging. It was a good day.
No comments:
Post a Comment